Each year hundreds of millions of dollars are spent to make purchases online. That’s especially the case when it comes to camera equipment. Back in the day, you would peruse the back pages of a popular photo magazine and call a 1-800 number. Now, you can buy camera gear using nothing more than your smartphone.

The ease by which you can buy an item can be problematic if the only thing you’re reading is the sale price. It can be tempting to immediately click on that button when you see the promise of hundreds of dollars in savings. However price alone shouldn’t be the only determining factor for you hitting the buy button.

For the past 5 years, I have been using the Fujifilm x100s as my preferred camera of choice. After borrowing a friend's camera for my first trip to Europe, I purchased my own and it's been hanging on my shoulder almost every day.

Fujifilm replaced the camera with the x100T and later the x100F each of which offered performance enhancements and new features which improved on an already fine camera. Yet despite these advancements, I delayed upgrading. And though those later versions addressed some of the issues that I and others had with my camera, I didn't make a beeline for my camera store with my credit card burning in my hand.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon making photographs in Pasadena. I was getting familiar with the new Fujifilm X100F that I had purchased to replace the X100S I had been using as my primary camera for the past 5 years.

It was while walking through the streets that I spotted this shopping cart discarded in a parking lot. It reminded me of an assignment I had given myself years ago where I challenged myself to photograph nothing but shopping carts for the week.

In the spring of 1992, the city of Los Angeles erupted in civil unrest. Five Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of crimes related to the violent arrest of Rodney King. Captured on videotape, the beating was seen a visual confirmation of a history of brutality by the LAPD. Many believed that the recording provided incontrovertible evidence that would finally see justice served. Twelve jurors believed otherwise.

While traveling in Paris recently, I had the pleasure of spending time with Canadian-based street photographer Olaf Sztaba. He was conducting a workshop in the City of Lights and luckily it coincided with our time there.

For many years, I was a writer for hire. I wrote countless magazine articles and books as the means by which I made a living. I loved writing and I loved photography and so I counted myself lucky that I could earn money from doing two things that I enjoyed and felt that I did well.

But about three years ago, I burned out. I was writing, but doing so for the sake of a paycheck. I had lost the joy and passion that had spurred me to make this my life’s work. That decision resulted in a big financial hit, but I just didn’t have it in me to keep pressing on.

The last two months have been incredibly busy. Along with a personal life change, we began a garage conversion to provide me with a dedicated working space. I completed work on a new book, which is going to be released very soon. And as usual, I spent many hours securing interviews and preparing for each conversation to ensure a great episode for The Candid Frame.

What was sacrificed was time for making photographs. I was so busy, that I began forgetting to tote my camera with me.

I was recently interviewed for the cover article for the August issue of Street Photography Magazine. I'm both flattered and honored to be included in a magazine that has published stories and images on dozens of very talented photographers.

I am one of those people who always has a camera with him. Some of my friends, who are not photographers, make fun of me. They wonder if I am like Linus from the Peanuts, who is always carrying his security blanket, except I am holding onto a camera. They probably are not too off the mark with that observation.

Next month, I will be flying up to San Francisco to participate in Street Foto SF, a week-long celebration of street photography running from June 4 - 10. Much like the event that inspired it, the Miami Street Photography Festival, this event provides a wide-range of events, many of them free to the public.

I am in many ways a creature of habit. There are certain foods that I regularly order from my favorite restaurant. There is a particular route that I travel to get to and from home. And when it comes to photography, I have long favored the use of the 35mm lens.

Whether it was with my Nikon, Canon and now my Fujifilm X-series camera, a 35mm focal length has been at the heart of most of my picture making. I have trained my eye to see the world from that particular perspective and it has greatly influenced the way that I compose photographs. Seeing from a consistent field of view has allowed me to see what a picture might look like even before raising the camera to my eye.

I recently began subscribing to the YouTube Channel of the photographer, Olaf Sztaba. Olaf who describes himself as a visual poet is a photographer who not only has a wonderful visual aesthetic but possesses a philosophy of photography that is not shared often enough. In the YouTube world where there is no shortage of videos of street photographers working out in the street, Olaf brings along a sensibility that brings context to the process.

I am often asked for tips from photographers new to street photography. And to be honest, I am frequently at a loss as to what to share as there are so many things to consider when trying to create a good photograph, regardless of genre.

Nevertheless, here are 5 things that I feel make it possible for me to succeed whenever I photograph.

When I am on the hunt for photography books, I am not only looking for good information. I am really hoping for insight, revelatory moments that are not so much about learning something brand new but finding an alternate perspective to how I see the world through a camera.